Mike Mills

Mills was born on March 20, 1966, in Berkeley, CA, the third of three children of Paul and Jan Mills; the former a director of the Oakland Museum of California and the latter a property renovation specialist The couple had married in spite of knowing Paul was homosexual. He later told his son they undertook their union in deference to the repressive climate of America's post-war period, even as Jan subordinated her Jewish roots. After building Oakland's museum into much-respected institution, Paul took the head position at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art in 1970. Consequently, Mills grew up in an artistic, politically conscious household but felt out of place in sunny, wealthy Santa Barbara,... Continue Bio >>